


Golden

by CountvonKit



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 12:16:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20724062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CountvonKit/pseuds/CountvonKit
Summary: FE3H College AU one shot: Dimitri has absolutely no idea how to react when Claude approached him earlier that day, asking him out on a date. Instead, he turned around and ran away, locking himself in his room. After all, why should he have deserved such an opportunity? Happiness wasn't exactly his strong suit. But questions plagued his mind. Why him of all people? What was Claude thinking when he asked that question? What about him pulled the Golden boy's fascination and interest?





	Golden

_“Get away from me…!”_

From the nook of his bedroom window, Dimitri sat there, his single eye fixed out at the gentle rain pouring on down. It was cold, just like him, or so he came to believe. Frown dressed his lips, and his mind weighed heavy in thought. Memories to be more specific. He was afraid - terrified - to accept what had happened just earlier that day. 

His lips parted, breath escaping as a shiver raced up his spine, replaying the events. Just the sound of concern that lingered in _his_ voice, the gentleness that laced the corners of _his_ eyes as their college campus golden boy approached him with such ease.

_“N-no! I’m a freak! Don’t touch me! Stay back, I said!”_

He didn’t deserve it, he mentally chanted, drawing his arms tighter around himself. Not at all. His chest tightened, along with his grip. He didn’t deserve him or his kindness, and he didn’t deserve to be happy. He was miserable and always seemed to make things worse, even if just his presence was known. That was how things had always been. 

Unlike himself, his half sister, Edelgard, had always shown so brilliantly. She had perfect grades, lots of friends, was popular - not that he cared about any of that - and overall people just really seemed to like her. She was easy to approach, and even the professors at their college seemed to value her opinions. No one dared to backtalk her, for she was, in essence, the law.

Dimitri had always been in her shadows, ever since they were children. She was the sun, and he was very much the moon. Nothing he did was ever good enough for his parents. It was never ‘Ellie-good’. In their eyes, she could do no wrong. Yet if he did so much as an accident, it was so very, very wrong. Shame on him! To top things off, people at their college always strayed away from him. He was told by many professors that he was straight up unapproachable, and should consider smiling more. Even Edelgard made note that he had a habit of pushing people away, and always garnished a scowl.

_“Maybe if you… tried smiling more. I bet a smile would look really good on you.”_

Sigh escaped from his lips once again. As if. What was there even worth smiling about?

Today, perhaps? The way _he_ approached him with a smile that could move mountains with ease? They way _he_ approached him with a kind of confidence that could so easily wash him away? The way _he_ acted as though they had been lifelong friends? His… questionable sincerity? 

No. 

Today was hardly a thing to even consider the worth of being happy about. 

Dimitri had ruined it, just like he always did. Then turned away in panic, fleeing back to the comfort of his own home, and holed himself up in his room far away from the outside world. Or… as far away as he could get.

What made today any different than everything else that had already happened, Dimitri scoffed to himself. The answer: nothing. There was no difference. Even if him and his sister shared a house, by the end of the day the results were still the same. 

He was no good. He was nothing. And he never would be, for anyone. That is what he continued to chant to himself. But the reality was that Dimitri couldn't accept something he didn't know. What if he messed up? What if he hurt someone? He didn't want to be that person. He never wanted to be that ideal person everyone made him out to be. In turn, that resistance, that lingering bit of self-doubt, ate away at him over the years and had become a frequent visitor.

There came a gentle rap on his door, interrupting his pool of misery, scurrying the demons away.

Who was it now?

"Go away!" He snapped.

"Dimitri, there's someone here to see you." 

That was Edelgard's voice; gentle, just as it always had been towards him. She never seemed to harbor ill feelings towards her half-brother. That he knew of, anyway. In fact, she had always exercised patience towards him, and even went out of her way to try to include him in her outings with friends. Every time, however, he always declined for some reason or another. But it never stopped her from asking.

"Tell them to go away! I didn't ask for company! Just leave me alone!"

Hushed whispers slithered beneath the door that separated them, but the rain seemed to drown out just what words his sister and said guest exchanged. Dimitri pulled his feathered blanket around him tighter, turning his back further towards the door and shutting his eye.

"Dimitri," Edelgard's voice rang, stern. "Don't make me break the door down. Just open it, will you?"

He didn't bother with a reply. He knew she would bust the door down again and he would end up having to repair it. Instances like those seemed to be a frequent occurrence. Especially when he got into one of his so-called ‘moods’, as she put it.

There was another exchange of whispers before his door unlocked itself. His ears perked up, but he didn't bother to move. Part of him expected to be dragged out of the room by an ear, while the other half of him expected her to come leaping at him with a swift roundhouse kick.

"Dimitri, please. If you'll just listen to me…" Edelgard spoke once more, her voice soft and filled with worry.

The guest beside her drew up a hand, casting a wave. 

"That’s not necessary. I'll handle this, Ellie. Don't worry. It's partly my fault for approaching him how I did." The man drew an arm up, scratching the back of his head. “I mean, you did warn me he could get like this. Maybe I came off a bit too straight forward when I said I liked the way he lifted things. Or… maybe it was that time I used a super lame and cheesy pickup line on him because you said he liked things with extra cheese.”

That voice…

Edelgard stared at their guest dumbfounded. All the things she told him _not_ to do and he did it anyway… Then again, her friend didn’t really like being forced into following rules. He just liked to exist, and have fun. He liked to be happy, laugh, and… occasionally play a harmless prank or three. As long as no one got hurt, what was the problem? He was practically a polar opposite when compared to the brooding lion. 

As he went to turn around, the figure came flying at him with open arms, giving a tight hug and catching him off guard.

Dimitri let out a small squeak looking to see Claude snuggling into his blanket and broad chest while muttering something about him being a good kitty. Situations like these always made him awkward, and slightly uncomfortable. What does someone even do when caught in this situation...? At the sound of someone snickering, he looked up only to catch sight of his sibling snickering before closing his door, the look of pure betrayal quick to reflect upon his face. How could she? How dare she... 

'_No! Don’t do this, Edelgard!_' He cringed, reaching out to her before the door had shut all the way. 

And just like that, the two were left alone.

Silence had wedged its way into the room before Dimitri began to fight and resist against Claude, doing his best to push him away.

"Get. Off. Me!" He snarled. “Ellie! Come retrieve your friend at once!”

Claude looked up to him, his smile retreating. "That’s one thing I've never understood about you, Dimitri. Why do you push people away? Why don’t you allow people to get close to you?"

The blonde ceased his resistance, looking to Claude. “What do you mean?”

“Dimitri, I want to get to know you better. I want to be your friend.” He leaned up, planting his lips against the other’s cheek, his voice falling softer. “I want to so that we can be more than friends. So why do you hesitate? Why do you run away?”

Looking away, Dimitri let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping. “Because I always hurt people. I always do wrong. I’m scary, and intimidating. I thought that much about me was obvious. There’s nothing good about me. So for you to see something like that in me, you must be pretty blind. Or stupid.”

“So then, you ran because you didn’t want to hurt me?”

“Wha?” Blood rushed to his face at Claude’s sudden conclusion, turning to look his way. “That’s not what I - !”

Claude’s smile brimmed from one side of his face to the other. “That’s honestly really sweet and considerate of you, Dimi. Ellie was right. You are a big softie!”

“Don’t call me that.”

“However.” Yanking the blanket, Claude pulled Dimitri down to him, the duo hitting the floor with a thud. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m understanding, durable, and flexible. I guarantee I can handle whatever you throw at me. Communication is also very important in relationships, so please know that you’re always welcome to share your burdens with me. In fact, I encourage you to confide in me, and to lean on me.”

Dimitri stared down at the man beneath him, far surpassing the astral planes of confusion. No mathematical formula could solve the rhetoric this golden boy was spewing. For someone who jumped to the farthest reaches of one conclusion to the next, where was the communication in any of that, he asked himself. Also since when had they…? Since when were they…??

The blonde’s face flushed again.

Wait.

Were they…?

“So, what do you say, _partner_?”

“...wait…”

Claude blinked, staring up at him. “Hm?”

Dimitri sat up. “I-I don’t think - .”

“Ah. Well, that’s perfectly fine. You don’t need to think. Just a ‘yes’ will do.” Claude reached for his hand, pulling Dimitri back down into a hug.

At first, he had felt like a cat; corned by a person who just wanted to force their love on them. That exact scenario of when someone sees a cat and thinks to themselves, ‘Yes. That cat. I want to pet it. I want to be its friend. We will be the best of friends. That is destiny.’ Only then is that cat picked up and held, having no motivation to escape. It is carried around everywhere by said person, and, at this point, has accepted their fate and just kind of goes with it. But not without the occasional struggle. By the end of the day, that person would, in fact, be best friends with said cat, or so that seems to be how the situation played out.

Currently, that was exactly where Dimitri had found himself.

In his arms, fighting back was useless, Dimitri knew. If he tried struggling, Claude would simply fight the resistance harder and more forcefully, but not enough to be overbearing. 

Was that really a bad thing?

Mentally, Dimitri shook such a thought from his head, letting out a sigh.

“If I give you an answer, will you please just leave me alone?”

“Pffffft. Cute” Claude let out a hearty laughter, cupping Dimitri’s face and staring him dead in his eyes. “No.”

Dimitri’s gaze slowly averted. Should he be concerned by that? Was this stalker level? Or was this just Claude being his truest self? He wasn't really sure how to handle this man. He was so full of energy, and was quick to put him in his place with mere words.

Claude’s tone then suddenly changed. “I can’t do that. How could I possibly leave you alone, Dimitri? You’re always alone. Doesn’t that get boring to you? Lonely?”

His gaze fell back on the man beneath him.

“Ever since I saw you on campus. Everywhere you go. You’re always by yourself, always doing things by yourself. From point A to point B. I never see you talking to anyone, doing things with people, with _friends_. I never see you laughing. I never see you smiling. I never see you just… _enjoying_ things. Don’t you want that?”

“People are exhausting,” He replied back. “I’d rather not waste my time or energy on them.”

Claude grunted then pulled him in for a quick kiss, enough to temporarily paralyze Dimitri in shock. “Great!” He answered, flashing a grin. “Then I don’t have anything to worry about! Jealousy isn’t my strong suit, and I find that’s a quick way to cause wrinkles. Can’t be having that on this flawless skin of mine, now can I?”

Dimitri let out a snarl, slamming his hands into the floor. “Will you listen to me?!” In his short spout of anger, he watched as all the light-hearted fun slipped from those emerald eyes, and that smile of his turn into something stern.

“_I am._”

“No…! You’re not! You’re just running that damn your mouth!”

That mouth he found himself wanting more of the longer he stared at those lips.

Drawing up a finger, Claude gently pressed it into Dimitri’s lips, silencing him. “No, Dimi. You’re just not listening to your _heart_. You’re not listening to what _you_ want.” His arms wrapped themselves around Dimitri’s neck, holding him close as his breathed into an ear, “It’s ok. You’re scared. I get that. I really do. But running away doesn’t solve anything. It never has. So please…! Please just allow me the chance to make you happy. I want to see you happy, Dimi. I want to see you smile. You deserve it. And I… want to be that reason you’re able to experience it.”

Against his hold, the blonde’s body trembled, giving way. Claude had read him like an open book. Was he that obvious, he pondered, giving in.

From the doorway, Edelgard stood there once again, clearing her throat. 

“You two done yet?”

Claude looked back to her, smiling. “Oh hey, Ellie! I think I might have successfully tamed the beast! Plus ten points added to this sexy god's charisma!”

Fighting to hold back a sudden laugh, she quickly drew up a hand to cover her mouth. “You two are hella gay…”

“Right? It’s pretty great! Say, speaking of awesome things, we should definitely order some pizza!”

With a smirk and a quick pair of finger guns, she turned around. “For the efforts of risking your life and diving into danger without thinking twice, consider the reward justified.”

Dimitri gripped Claude by the face, forcing him to look back at him. “You’re not staying for dinner.”

“That’s funny,” Claude remarked with a smug face. “Because dinner doesn’t talk back once I’m done with it. Believe me when I say I’m just beginning. Pizza is only the dessert.”

There was a moment of silence before Dimitri quickly sat up, holding his head in his own fluster. “...I can’t even take you seriously…”

“Another battle won for house von Riegan!” Claude remarked with a light laugh, sitting up and placing a hand against Dimitri’s chest. “That’ll surely be your problem. You should never take me seriously. But,” He paused for a moment. Just long enough to draw in the blonde’s curiosity before continuing. “You’re welcome to just take me as I am right now. Ellie won’t mind a little noise, I’m sure. She’ll totes understand.” 

Blood rushed to Dimitri’s face as he looked to see Claude give him a playful wink.

He couldn’t. He just couldn’t. Grabbing the silver tongued man by the collar, he quickly threw him out of the dimly lit room, slamming the door and leaning against it while trying to catch his breath.

Claude let out a whistle, leaning against the opposite side and tucking his hands behind his head. “I sure hope I get to see you use that kind of strength against me some day, on the receiving end. When we get there. Just the two of us. You know. Maybe a little candle light, hopefully a bed.”

“I never said yes to you!” Dimitri barked.

“Aha! You just did, _partner_.”

Dimitri fell silent, trying to process everything that had just happened, then hit the floor with a loud thud, keeling over. His spirit wanted to leave his body and this world altogether.

There was no winning against Claude von Riegan, as Dimitri would come to find out over time. Maybe, just maybe... he could give himself a chance - that chance to be happy, and perhaps experience those things he had been starved of for so long. After all, as it stood right now, it didn't really seem like he had much a choice. The corners of his scowl slowly fought to turn into a smile, struggling to hold back genuine laughter, all hidden behind that single door that separated endless and nurturing possibilities. 


End file.
